Silence.
Then softly—
“No, ClayVincent.”
A pause.
“Weapons are easier to replace.”
Every single person in that checkpoint goes still.
Even the bunker itself feels quieter after that.
Because somehow—
somehow—
he just became even worse.
Then Gabriel’s voice cuts sharply through the silence.
“They’re here.”
Gunfire erupts from the lower corridor a split second later.
The checkpoint explodes into chaos.
64
Hannah
Gunfire tears through the checkpoint.
Concrete explodes beside the blast doors as Sentinel operatives flood the lower corridor in black tactical armor.
Russ fires first.
Controlled.
Precise.
One operative drops instantly.
Lucas takes another through the shoulder before diving behind reinforced barriers.
Mason’s team spreads wide through the checkpoint, creating crossfire lanes while Gabriel shouts over the chaos:
“Protect the children!”
The children.
Oh God.
Several of them immediately drop to their knees against the wall—
hands behind their heads automatically.
Conditioned compliance during combat.
